Merging Lies
by ShootingStarz01
Summary: There was nothing wrong with him; THEY were the ones who tormented him. They were hateful. Heartless. This plannet needed to serve a sentence. He abandoned patience and listened to the Voice inside... Winning could mean losing everything.
1. The Plot, Revised

_**IMPORTANT! **_**Read this before you read the story, or you may be lost!**

_**Author's Note/Disclaimer:**_

_****This story is a sequel to/alternate version of Splitting Truth. It is *highly, highly, highly* recommended that you read Splitting Truth first!** I can not repeat that enough, but I won't keep repeating it because it may be considered spam. =P **_

_**The first chapter of this story is extremely similar to the first chapter of Splitting Truth, but afterwards, things take a sharp turn away from the original storyline. Splitting Truth may be better, but I hope this is still enjoyed by someone, for all it's horror.**_

_**Beware: character deaths occur! Also note that some characters may be **__**slightly**__** OOC, or **__**seem**__** OOC due to certain unmentioned circumstances. Shadow especially, so pay close attention. Over all, I did my best to keep them in character… **_

_**Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters © SEGA! That's Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Shadow, Cream, and Rouge… All the other miscellaneous people belong to me, namely Thorn and the Voice … Though the Voice is not so miscellaneous this time. 3 I love that character to death even though he's a big meanie in the stuff I've posted here so far. =(**_

_**All reviews are appreciated. R&R, please. =)**_

**Merging Lies**

**By Maria Springer**

Never, as far as he could remember, had everything seemed so dark. Stars littered the sky and the moon shone bright, but it still seemed horribly black around him. It was not very late five o' clock in the afternoon, perhaps but it seemed as if it were the darkest hour of the night.

There was no sound. All was deathly still and silent.

The Earth could feel his lust; the lust for destruction and revenge. Rage was burning within him at this very moment. It was difficult to hide. It screamed like a demon, clawing and scratching, begging to be let out. Begging to be set free and unleash havoc.

He denied this passionate desire. He had to arrange this disaster carefully. A mistake, he knew, may very well ruin everything. Anything from a slip in controlling his emotions to a serious error in his actions may foil his plan to destroy the world.

Shadow the Hedgehog was tired of all the hate, hurting, sickness, and war. All anyone ever seemed to want to do was attempt to defeat each other, in some way or another, and try to make themselves superior to everyone else around them. He noticed that such behavior was especially directed towards him. GUN abused his usefulness, continuously sending him off on missions without much (or any) regard of how he felt about the issue, or about the fact that he hadn't had eight hours of rest in the entire week. In the previous week, that had been the exact case. This week, he had been out the last two nights.

Tonight, it seemed perfectly clear to him what all these missions really meant. In fact, he realized they weren't even really missions at all. His spy work was more than satisfactory. He was the Ultimate Life Form. He had never met an enemy he couldn't defeat. Anyone who survived in a battle against him had been purposely left alive, or else he had slacked off and not bothered to kill them. He was also an excellent actor, when he tried. With strangers a perfect liar, and he could stalk his targets without ever being noticed. He was silent and deadly.

The humans were afraid of him.

Not just his enemies; GUN, too. Which was why they wanted to kill him, now. Even as their best agent, they valued their lives more than him. And it wasn't just simple fear. He could see it in their eyes that they hated him. They hated him for his… almost perfect existence. As much as he liked to say that he was without fault or flaw, he knew it was not true; but he was good enough to be hated for that reason.

People don't like when they see anyone better than themselves. Shadow was better than them all, even with his flaws. He was a shining city on a hill, even though he had no religious practice whatsoever. Was the world created, or did it evolve? He didn't know, or care. It existed, and that was all that mattered to him.

It existed, and he despised it. His plan for destruction was rather simple; he would use the Eclipse Cannon, and load all seven emeralds into it. He would take the emeralds at any cost, and stop at nothing to have them. He just would have to be careful not to draw any attention to himself, so no one would try to stop him. Once the cannon fired, they would all die. Every last one of them. Himself included, though he wasn't sure exactly how. He figured his chances for survival were extremely low. Pieces of the planet could impact the colony after the explosion, or the colony might have nothing to orbit around and drift to where he would freeze to death or die of heat…

He had lost his immortality, so he would die quite easily. He felt it to be worth the cause. The end of all sadness, all pain, all hopelessness, sickness, greed this would come with destroying the planet. Maria had wanted him to make the humans happy, but they had played him like a puppet. They had destroyed everything that ever made him happy, and that seemed to be the only thing to satisfy them. They were a selfish, cruel race. If Maria had only realized that, she would never have asked him to bother helping them. She had been just a child. An idealist. She wanted to see the best in everything, and she couldn't understand that there was simply no good in them.

She had never even gotten to see this place, because they killed her…

If only everyone had been as she was, her death would never have happened. Neither would he have need to do this. However, he realized, such a thought was idealist, that anyone else could ever be like _she_ had been. It was pathetic for him to ever think such a thing. The humans all had hearts of hatred and evil. They needed to be done away with.

"Shadow? You've been standing there the last three _hours_… Are you feeling okay?" Shadow nearly flinched at the voice. Rouge.

Even if his 'best friend' was ill and helpless, she was the worst traitor of them all. She helped the humans. She _loved_ the humans…

She _had_ to die. He _had_ to kill her before anyone else. If he didn't, she _would_ betray him. He knew it was true; he hated her.

The black and red hedgehog turned around calmly, concealing his emotions. He feigned a smile. "I'm alright."

"…Okay then…" The female bat was trying not to cough. She had started to get sick the week before, and now she was very ailing. GUN had given her leave because of it… Right now she was extremely concerned; however, Shadow noted that it didn't seem self-centered. "Are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should sit down awhile so—" Selfless worry flooded her tone.

"I don't need to sit down." He answered quickly. For some reason, her anxiousness aggravated him. He did not like to be treated like a needy person. Here she was, probably about to die of illness even if he didn't kill her, yet she treated him like _he_ was the one who needed help. Though his tone remained calm, the façade slipped. He glowered ever so slightly.

Rouge heaved a sigh. This caused her to cough, but after clearing her throat, she attempted to explain herself. "It was just a suggestion… I'm sorry, it's just I'm _really_ starting to worry about you… GUN has been sending you on missions almost," she coughed again. She was wrestling with her sentences, and already starting to lose as the illness slowly stole her voice away. "…_continuously_, you've hardly _slept_, you haven't eaten much, and you've been spending _all_ your spare time staring out that window! You didn't used to be like that, but the last few weeks… it's like…" The bat trailed off sadly. She could see that Shadow was extremely unhappy, but she didn't have the slightest clue of what was going through his brain.

"Don't worry about me, Rouge. I would worry more about myself if I were you…" Rouge suddenly felt nervous as he said this, but logic criticized her for the needless paranoia. "You should be asleep. I can tell that cough of yours is getting worse…" Something about Shadow seemed off, but he was acting, for the moment, as he used to… This was her best friend, kind and caring. He was smiling at her like she was the only girl in the world who he cared about… That was what she loved about him. He made her feel special.

She turned with a nod, when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. She whirled back around again. "Shadow?"

"Yes?" Shadow now struggled to control himself. He wanted to hit her. _This is getting irritating… Make up your mind!_

"How come you never give anyone a chance?"

Shadow dropped his act, giving her a puzzled look. "What?"

"You're nice to _some_ people… but you're not nice to most people. If someone you don't know… asks you a question or tries to get to know you, you snap at them…"

A pause. "Why _should_ I be kind to strangers? I don't know them."

"What reason is there not to be kind? …Shadow, a lot of people are _hurting_. Just because they are strangers… doesn't mean they're not _people_. Sometimes if a stranger is nice to them, it makes them feel… a little better." Rouge shivered from cold.

Shadow looked skeptical. Maria's way of thinking had been the same. But she had been wrong. So wrong… "I don't see _why_ I should be kind to strangers. They're _never_ kind to me. Most of the time, I don't see why I should be kind to _anyone_! They stare at me like I'm some sort of disease and treat me like I'm inferior! They wouldn't even stand a chance against _me_ if they tried to prove it. Pathetic… For all I care they can burn!"

"You're so… _cold-hearted_!" The bat practically shouted the instant he finished the sentence. Angrily, she turned away from him and ran up the stairs to her bedroom. _What's with him?_

Shadow scoffed at her repulsive behavior. The humans were the cold-hearted ones. All they deserved was death. They didn't need his pity. If he offered them pity, they would take advantage of him and stab him in the back. He had given them chances time after time. Second chances. Third chances. Fourth. He had continued to give them chances, but did they change? No. Maria would understand his reasoning, if only she were here to see this. If only she were not quite so much of a child…

The Eclipse Cannon was a humane weapon. He felt certain that no one would feel a thing. If they happened to look up and see it as it was firing, they might feel several seconds of terror, but no pain.

Shadow thought over his plan. It would be best to get the emeralds that did not need to be stolen first. No one would really notice it. Then, when he would need to steal, Chaos Control would come in handy in getting from one location to the next. With a little bit of research, he would probably be able to find out where all the owned ones were…

_Be-Be-Be-Beep! Be-Be-Be-Beep! Be-Be-Be-Beep!_

Shadow was ripped from his thoughts. It was time to take his medication. Five thirty, two pills. Everyday. He'd had a slight problem with hallucinations, and the medication seemed to effectively prevent them from occurring. He wandered into the kitchen and opened the cabinet, reaching for the prescription…

He stopped. Hallucinations should not get in his way. The world would end in a few days… Only about 24 hours, in fact, if he worked quickly from midnight until sunset. Until midnight, he could look for information on the Chaos Emeralds…

_Hell with it. _Shadow closed the cabinet. _If I have anything that seems like a hallucination, I'll just ignore it._

_I'll die soon anyway…_

_Let's find out where the Emeralds are._

He glanced at his watch, then headed towards the office where the computer was. He would murder Rouge in her sleep.

11:43. Shadow looked at the computer's clock. He had 17 minutes until midnight… It was a bit early, but there was nothing wrong with that. He was tired of trying to find information on the Chaos Emeralds. After finding information on four of them, he had little hope of finding anything on the other three… He hated to think he would have to hunt for them. He had a queer eagerness to end it all as soon as possible…

_Oh well._ Now was not the time to worry about Chaos Emeralds. There was someone he needed to kill first. _Let's get this over with…_

The computer monitor clicked off.


	2. Tension and Ruin

_**A/N: SO SORRY FOR UPLOADED THE INCORRECT CHAPTER! Thank you, a hundred times, RaeRae, for telling me I uploaded the wrong one! Because I have a feeling no one else would have told me, and the wrong second chapter could have been up for months. O_o; **_

_**Thanks, also, to my friends for beta reading this for me! **_

The black and red hedgehog moved quietly into the kitchen, pulling a knife out of the drawer. He could have used a pan and bashed her on the head, or a bat—the irony might have had him cracking up—or his four by four… He didn't care what he used, as long as the killing was quick and quiet. He didn't want the neighbors to hear.

He closed the drawer carefully, and crept over to the stairs. His night vision allowed him to see decently even though it was very dark. Even so, he was careful to watch his step. It was vital that Rouge was not disturbed in her sleep. He inched up the staircase, one step at a time.

Every tiny noise he made seemed to echo through the house. Even though he knew Rouge probably did not hear him, he cursed himself for every disruption of silence. Impatience nagged at him. He was moving almost as slowly as a snail. Part of him reasoned, if he were to dash up the stairs at sonic speed, she wouldn't even have time to scream. But he pushed the thought aside. Something could still go wrong.

Besides this, he had a strange desire that urged him to move slower. For what reason? He was uncertain. Between the impatience and the desire to linger, he found himself very confused. He continued to move at a leisurely pace, knowing he could easily change his mind at the last second if he felt a stronger desire.

The clock was ticking. It seemed louder than an airplane; controlling, somehow. It was as if that clock were the heartbeat of the universe, dictating how everything would be. It synchronized with his own heartbeat after a moment or two. Shadow wanted to freeze in place.

_Thump-tick. Thump-tock. Thump-tick. Thump-tock._

He felt a sense of paranoia wash over him, but fought to overcome it. There was nothing to be afraid of. He knew he would die soon. He would die when he ended the rest of the world. Why should a petty clock tie his nerves in such knots? It was irrational. No one was going to catch him for this murder. They wouldn't have the chance…

Something else was bothering him, but he was uncertain of what. It plagued him, but he continued his noiseless ascension, determined to do what he had already promised.

Destroy hatred. Destroy pain and suffering. Destroy the planet and set it free.

Two and a half minutes passed. It had felt like much longer to him. Shadow reached the top of the staircase, instinctively glancing about, then tip-toed to Rouge's bedroom. Paranoia struck again. His heartbeat seemed to slow. The clock's ticking did the same, though he could hardly hear it anymore. Something _was_ dreadfully wrong. But what?

_Cowardice never helped anyone. Cowardice is fear, and fear will push you to insanity. You'll never end suffering that way! You are the Chosen One, remember? It is your duty to end this madness! Don't fall victim to it!_

The Voice. He made perfect sense, this time. Shadow was the Chosen One. He was a savior to the world, a prophet of some sort had told once him. The prophet had talked of another Savior, but he had paid no attention to it. It was nothing more than a sham.

The Ultimate Life Form would end all suffering and pain. If there was another savior, he would have to be the savior of hatred and agony. Shadow could not allow such things to continue. He would kill anyone he had to in order to stop the hate.

He stopped at Rouge's bedroom door, listening carefully. It sounded like she was asleep, though it was a bit hard to tell. She did not snore. He waited a moment just to be sure. A malicious smile spread across his face. Her death would be quick and easy. The door was already partly open; he pushed it open wider with his free hand.

The door made no sound. He took a single step into the room…

"…Shadow?"

_Dang it. _The black and red hedgehog bit his tongue, holding back a curse. He hid the knife behind his back, trying to act as natural as possible. He dressed his voice with a faux tone of friendship, letting it dance out of his mouth. "Yes, Rouge?"

The beautiful white bat was frail and ghostly-looking. She sat up in bed, looking at him with both suspicion and innocence. "…Why are you in my room?"

Shadow found no reason or motivation within him to fake a smile. "I was just checking in on you. Go back to sleep."

"I can't… I can't sleep at all." She sighed. She started to cough a bit. Shadow rolled his eyes. If she couldn't sleep, it would be wasting time for him to wait for her to fall asleep. He would have to just kill her. He took a step forward.

_Lure her to sleep._

_Pardon? _Shadow almost reacted outwardly in shock due to the suggestion.

_If you get her to fall asleep, she won't feel a thing. You'll be securing her trust and bringing her comfort… And then you can just kill her._

Shadow considered it. Rouge cleared her throat. "…Are you okay?" She asked.

_I'm not comfortable with doing that… _"I'm alright."

"Are you sure…?" She looked at him uncertainly.

_Come now, Shadow. The point is to destroy all pain and suffering, is it not? _Shadow was torn. His feelings were all mixed up. She was a traitor. Why should he give her a gracious death? But once again, the Voice had a point. It would cause her more pain and suffering if he killed her while she was conscious and awake…

_I want her to suffer…_

_What a hypocrite you are, then! Expecting everyone else to cease their hatred when you aren't even willing to!_

"Shadow?" She slipped out of bed. "Come on, sugar… What's o-on your mind?" She gave him a genuine smile.

"Nothing. _Nothing_!" He smiled back half-heartedly, hoping the Voice would take the hint. 'Shut up.'

"Well, I know you pretty well… It seems like something to me…" She began to walk towards him. Shadow flinched, but stayed where he was. "Did you have a bad dream?" She teased.

"I'm just fine, Rouge." Rouge stopped.

Shadow looked on, emotionless.

"…Shadow? …Why don't you like me anymore?" She looked very hurt.

"Like you?" He gave her an odd glance.

"…I thought we were friends… but you never talk to me about anything… That's how it's been for the last month…"

Shadow didn't reply.

"…Listen, you're the best friend I've ever had. The best I could ever even ask for. And I love you… so much… I just want you to know that, even if you don't want to be my friend anymore."

Shadow stared.

_Kill her._

Seeing that his attention was fully on her, she continued. "You know, if you want to talk to me about anything at all, you're free to… It doesn't matter how busy I am or anything, and I'm not busy especially while I'm sick." She smiled weakly, "I'd honestly rather spend time with you than do anything else… That's what any best friend should want, right? …More than that, I want you to be happy, Shadow…"

"If that means you don't wanna be a-around me… then that's okay…"

Emotions tugged at Shadow's heartstrings. Here he was left, once again, in confusion. He could find no words to say. He just stood there, looking at her, choked in silence.

He was no longer certain he wanted to kill her.

Rouge wanted him to talk to her, but she couldn't force him to. She felt it would be wrong. He looked lost and lonely. She could see he was in some sort of pain. She came closer to him, just wanting give him a hug…

A vision flashed before his eyes. A hideous demon was coming toward him, arms open wide, claws extended. It's flesh was on fire. Panic coursed through his veins. Instinctively, he reacted…

The knife plunged into Rouge's chest. Her eyes widened and she released a short scream of terror and agony. Shadow froze.

"Sh-shadow…!" She cried. Shadow couldn't believe what he had done. Blood seeped out from her nightgown. Tears spilled from her eyes. "Wh-why?" She choked. The bat tried to cling to him.

She was grasping for comfort. For reassurance. The pain felt real, but she couldn't believe what her very best friend had just done.

She was dying. She could feel it. The darkness was beginning to swallow her up. She clung to Shadow, as if he could save her from it. But the knife was in deep…

Too deep. She knew she wouldn't survive. She knew it. Shadow knew it. The Voice knew it.

_Don't cry for her. She was lying to you. Now she's just desperate to stay alive. _

Shadow didn't want to listen. He wanted to hold his friend and comfort her… but he was too horrified at his own actions… Rouge was crying, asking him "Why?" again and again, coughing and choking. She was helpless.

Where was the demon?

_Shadow, she will not make it. Just leave her. She is a traitor, remember? You said yourself that you wanted her to suffer! So suffering, she is! You know she was the entire reason you lost your immortality! And you thought it was an accident. Well I know it wasn't! Didn't you think it was odd when she didn't move as that robot came charging towards her? She had enough time, but she just stood there! Waiting for you, because she knew you would save her, and the robot would inject you with the formula to __**reverse your eternal life!**_

Mortality was a nuisance. It pulled Shadow further away from perfection, and he resented that. His gaze hardened.

_Do you know what else? The reason you've had so many missions is because you've been taking double the work—for her! They have been killing you with these missions, and it was __**her**__ idea—that they approved! When she fell ill, and they called __**her**__ for a mission, she told them to have __**you**__ do all her missions until she felt well enough! She even said, if you do a good job, that they should have you work double-time __**all**__ the time!_

Shadow had Rouge in his arms. He freed one of his hands and gripped the knife. Rouge glanced up at him with hopeful eyes.

He tore the knife out carelessly, and stabbed her again, dragging the knife through her.

"I love you too, Rouge."

The life faded from her eyes, which remained wide open in shock.

_**A/N: Review, please? =P**_


	3. Searching, Drowning

Her body had been dragged down to the basement. Shadow had lazily covered up the scene of the crime by soaking up the blood, then covering the floor with spare blankets. Now he sat at the letter desk in the office, carefully forging a note. He used a few documents Rouge had written on as references to her handwriting.

The Voice seemed quite chipper. Shadow could hear him sweetly singing his own version of "Forgotten" by Linkin Park. Shadow liked Linkin Park, so he didn't mind it one bit. Besides that, the Voice seemed to have a talent in song. Shadow pondered on this a brief moment, before realizing something.

He had never heard the Voice try to sing before. The Voice had sung mockeries, and parodies he had made up himself, but only in a half-hearted manner. Right now, the Voice seemed to be trying to sing well, and he sounded astounding…

Shadow suddenly felt a great amount of pity for him. The Voice had been trapped in his mind for as long as he could remember. From day one, he could recall hearing the Voice in his head. The Voice was another spirit; another entity. Yet his existence was limited to being trapped inside another. He had no say if Shadow chose not to listen to him. He could never do what he wanted, only say what he wanted. His words were only ever heard by one sole person; the Ultimate Life Form. The black hedgehog had very often gotten aggravated and angered by him… but when all he seemed able to do was watch through Shadow's eyes and speak into his mind, could he really be blamed? With such a wonderful voice, he might have been a big star if he wanted to be. Did the Voice have dreams? How many dreams had he dreamt that would never come true?

Shadow had often felt that the Voice resented him. For the first time, he tried to see the way the Voice did. He was his only company. They didn't get along. The Voice was probably lonely because he had no friend, or anyone who understood him…

The Voice was imprisoned. Shadow had been imprisoned… He had hated it with a passion. He would have done anything to escape; and he had. The Voice _couldn't _escape.

Suddenly, the Voice's behavior made a lot more sense. The Voice switched sides partly because he wasn't fond of Shadow, and also because it eased his boredom. He would quite often seem to change his mind about things; even little things that were unimportant. It was his way of escaping the oppressing sameness he experienced in day-to-day life. He was never able to experience anything first-hand, so he would vary and experiment with his suggestions to Shadow just to see what would happen if he listened. Shadow was his way of interacting with the world. Shadow was both his penitentiary and his sanctuary for keeping sane.

Shadow put down the pen. The note was complete. It was a perfect likeness to Rouge's handwriting. Tears threatened to blur his vision. He blinked them back. "I had to leave town for a few days, but I'll be back soon. Love, Rouge." His voice quivered as he read. He took a deep breath.

The Voice's song had ceased. His tone was strange as he replied, as if reading over the black hedgehog's shoulder. _I approve. Post it to the door, and let's get out of here._

…_I didn't want to kill her. The second stab was to end her pain. _He fought to contain himself. All he wanted to do was weep.

_You did well, with no ill will. Do not dwell on the past. You must find the Chaos Emeralds. You will see her in the afterlife, where all negativity shall cease._

_Are you sure? I killed her! She can't forgive me for that!_

_She will forgive you._

_What makes you so sure, though? Heaven and Hell… I don't even believe they exist!_

Once again, the Voice spoke in a strange tone. Shadow could not pin what emotion was expressed through it. _Good boy. _Shadow felt lost.

He paused, then strolled down the stairway. On his way to the door, he stopped in the middle of the hall to take his four by four out of a drawer. Then he continued down the steps. The grandfather clock sang its song, declaring solemnly that it was one in the morning. The ticking once again crept up on him, making him feel anxious. He quickly stepped out the door, taking the note onto the front of it.

_Where should I start? _The black hedgehog stood on the porch as the wind comfortingly brushed through his quills. The night seemed eerie, but it was somehow a comfort. The darkness was a comfort. It almost seemed that anything that should be gloomy was a strange comfort to him.

Even the Voice was a comfort as he answered him._ I would search in a place of rushing water._

_A river?_

_Possibly._

_Possibly. _Shadow echoed with uncertainty. The first emerald was always the hardest to find. Once it was found, however, the others were easier to find because of their attraction to one another. The first emerald would act as a special detection device to find the other six, although he would only need to actually search for three in total. He would take what he could get, though. Searching for Chaos Emeralds was not particularly fun. It took a lot of energy, time, and patience.

He activated his hover shoes, trying to think of as many places of 'rushing water' as possible. What besides a river would have rushing water? A dam, possibly. Or maybe a sewer. A waterfall?

A sewer would be the worst. It was the hardest thing to search through. Next to that, the sewer ran throughout the whole city… and in other cities, there were different sewers. Shadow nearly _prayed_ it wasn't in a sewer. He activated his hover skates, gliding off through the dead off the night. He kept his mind wide open, hoping to feel the energy of the emerald when he neared it…

His ability to detect Chaos Energy was probably not as strong as Knuckles', but he could always feel someone else's presence when they came up behind him, and he could always discern each person from another without seeing or hearing them. It was a sixth sense, which sometimes came in handy. Theoretically, if he was able to read other being's energy signatures, he should be quite capable of reading the signature of the Chaos Emeralds when he came near them. Unfortunately, he had never thought of this until now. He couldn't remember if he ever had felt the energy signatures before he was within ten feet of the emeralds.

The Ultimate life form kept speeding about, quickly looking whenever he spotted a source of rushing water, but never stopping even when he needed to do so. He was freezing, exhausted, and drenched after several hours. The night dragged on until dawn graced the horizon. Shadow still had not found the first Emerald. He started to wish he had taken a nap before he left.

Then, at 7:43 in the morning, it happened.

_**Halt**__, Child!_

The Voice had been silent ever since he had left the house. His sudden outburst startled Shadow greatly. He struggled to slide to a stop on the grassy turf, and ended up falling on his back due to lack of friction. The black hedgehog hissed, getting back to his feet.

_I'm not a child, and could you not do that? _He groaned, rubbing his lower back and neck.

_I have always called you Child. Would you rather be called Annie? _

_I would prefer if you called me by my name. _Shadow scowled.

_Alright, Annie._

Shadow facepalmed. _Fine, fine, fine! 'Child'! I don't care, just tell me; why did we stop?_

_I feel it. It's nearby._

Shadow paused. It always surprised him how the Voice knew things, even though he was unable to leave his mind. Questions popped up in his head. How did the Voice know such things? And how was it that he could feel the energy of the Chaos Emerald…

When he couldn't?

Shadow tried harder to feel for the Emerald. He felt the gentlest pang pass through him. It was so ghostly and small, it could hardly be felt. But he did recognize it. Chaos Energy.

The Voice had picked up something so faint?

Shadow looked around for a water source. If the Voice had been right earlier, it would most likely be there. Walked around casually, searching and listening carefully. The morning was peaceful and quiet. The wind could be heard sweeping softly through the grass and the leaves of the trees. Birds sang their morning song, grateful for a new day. Shadow hardly heard it. He was too busy focusing on picking out the sound of water.

Likewise, he had missed the sunrise earlier. He did not notice how the sunlight kissed the Earth at this hour. He did not pay attention to the squirrels playing in the trees. He did not see the elderly couple walking through the park together happily, enjoying each other's company.

He did not have time to enjoy himself or look about. He could not. He had to find the Chaos Emeralds to end all suffering. He was dead already. He had to sacrifice all selfish desire for what he believed was right.

He knew it was right. The Voice even agreed with him for once. The Voice wasn't all bad…

Six or seven minutes passed before the artificial waterway came into sight. It was a manmade river. Shadow hurried his pace, jogging over, and peered into the water. The water was sparkling in the sunlight. There were rocks beneath the surface, like a real river would have. It was nearly impossible to tell that the river was fake, except for the fact that the grass cut away from the riverbank too perfectly.

The energy signature of the Emerald felt strong, here. Shadow walked along the bank, searching for the gem. He did not see it. He walked to other way, looking more carefully.

He determined that the signature was stronger in the other direction, and thus walked back that way.

It took a few minutes of walking in that direction before he did see the emerald. It was jammed in between two rocks at the river's bottom. For a manmade river, this area was unusually deep. Sediment had been forcefully swept away, causing the depth of the river to increase. The black hedgehog did not like to go into water. He was not the greatest swimmer, and he knew that even the best swimmers put themselves in danger by trying to swim in rivers with strong currents.

_You'll be just fine. Get that emerald, and swim back to the bank. It's as simple as that._

_Why don't you try it? _Shadow clenched his teeth.

_I swim well, but I cannot take control of you, and I cannot leave your mind. Thus, I cannot 'try it', but I shall tell you I've swam in something much worse than that __**kiddy pool **__in front of you._

Shadow decided he was not to be outdone by the Voice; even if it could not be proven that the Voice could really swim so well. He took a deep breath, slipping off his air shoes, and dove into the water.

He suddenly felt he couldn't move. The freezing water rushed around him. All he wanted was to get back to shore. Fear crushed him. He writhed in the water, struggling against the current as it rapidly tore him away from the Chaos Emerald.

Had this been a pool, maybe he wouldn't have been so bothered. However, this was a wild, raging river, and he had a strong attack of phobia…

The river was relentless, like any force of nature, as unnaturally carved out as it was. He was pushed to the bottom more than ten feet away from the emerald. He tried to swim, just for the sake of surfacing to get air…

The force of the water wouldn't let him. Two large boulders behind him kept him from being swept away with the current, while the current itself kept him from moving.

He was trapped.


	4. The Truce

Shadow could hold his breath for longer than most other people were able to, but as the river continued to force him against the rocks, he began to run out of air.

_How do I get out? _He asked the Voice desperately.

_Use your head._

_How—_He cut himself off. The Voice would be of no help to him. He looked around, water stinging his eyes, and tried to find a solution. He was pinned to where he could not move forward, or upward… But would it be possible for him to crawl to the side and free himself that way?

Shadow began to crawl against the rocks, managing to make some progress. He needed to surface and get air, and he had to find a way to get the Emerald. How could he with such a current?

_Don't even think about surfacing! You'll survive. _The Voice scoffed.

_If I run out of air, I'll drown! _He retorted. He struggled to keep moving.

_If you drown, I will be freed; I will get the Chaos Emerald myself, find a way to revive you, and humiliate you to no end for your incompetence! You are stronger than that, and I expect much greater things of you than stopping to surface for oxygen, and then diving back into the water twenty-five hundred times to fail at retrieving the stupid rock! Just get the **** thing! Imagine, the Ultimate Life Form can't even win against a bloody river created by humans! Are you that pathetic? A jet stream of water, and lo! You're—_

_Jet stream! _Shadow suddenly thought of his hover skates. He had never really tried to activate them in water before, but it seemed worth a try. Why shouldn't they work? Water didn't ruin them, so it shouldn't hurt anything if he was trying to use them while he was submerged. He clamored around the side of the rocks. The river swept him back. He activated his air shoes…

Bubbles rocketed from his soles furiously. Shadow tried to swim. The current seemed especially rough now, but he was managing…

He was moving forward.

He kept swimming, back around the rocks, and towards the Emerald. It was the white one. The black hedgehog took a hold of it with both hands, gripping hard, and yanked with all his might…

He gasped, panting for air as he broke through the surface of the water.

_See? I was right. You managed it in one try. That is what I always expect of you; your best effort. _The Voice purred. Shadow swam to the riverbank and climbed up onto it, lying on the ground and looking at the powerful gem. He tried to catch his breath. The Voice concluded with an encouraging tone. _Good boy._

_First one down, then. Six more to go…_

The first Emerald did nicely as a tracking device. Shadow could feel where the next Emerald was, even though it was a few hundred miles away. He knew which direction it was in, and that it was in a grassy area… A glade. No guessing was required. He felt confident and relaxed knowing that… He sped onward in the glade's direction, focusing on moving as quickly as possible and not running into anything.

After only a few hours, he was there. The glade was quite large. Trees surrounded it, along with many wild plants. Flowers sprung up from the ground, scattered here and there in a variety of beautiful colors. However, Shadow immediately saw a problem with the situation he found himself in…

A nine-year-old girl was playing amongst the daisies, clutching the light blue Emerald. Her long, golden hair brushed against the tall bluegrass.

_Take it from her. _The Voice ordered. _She has no use for it, anyway._

_But that might upset her… _Shadow felt uncomfortable.

_Then play nice. _The Voice snapped. Shadow cringed, knowing the Voice was right. He approached the child.

The instant she looked up and saw him coming, she froze. He smiled at her, feeling slightly awkward. "Hey there…"

Silence.

Shadow spoke up again, continuing to make cautious steps forward. "Do you know what you're holding?" The girl quickly glanced at the gem, then looked back up at him. She jumped to her feet and fled.

"Hey, wait!" Shadow quickly ran after her, catching up with ease. The girl let out a half-a-whimper, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed suddenly.

"I'm not going to hurt you!"

"You can't have it!"

"But I need it…!" Shadow growled a little.

"No you don't!" The girl retorted. Her blue eyes flashed.

Shadow tried to grab the emerald from her. She barely managed to move it out of his way.

_Maybe if I trip her, she'll let go or I can get it more easily…_

_Then all I have to do is get away…_

Shadow jumped ahead of her. He stopped immediately, moving a foot in her path. She didn't notice it quickly enough. She screamed as her foot caught his leg and she felt herself falling.

She hit the ground and gasped in horrible pain. Shadow tackled her and covered her mouth. "I'm not going to do anything bad with it! I'm going to use it for good!"

"No!" The girl screeched her muffled reply, tears leaving her eyes in a flood.

_Scare her into giving it away._

_But-_

_Do you want the Emerald or not?_

Shadow wouldn't argue. He did need the power gem, and this little girl, however young, was hindering his progress and mission. Though he didn't like the idea of inciting what he planned to destroy in order to destroy it_—_scaring a little girl to throw away fear_—_he knew it was a necessary evil. He did the first thing he could think of, moving his hand to cover both her mouth and her nose. He held her tightly. "If you don't hand over the Emerald, you _will_ die. Give me the Chaos Emerald, and I'll let go, but you won't breathe until that rock is in my hands." He figured this would frighten her enough. Though he stated such words in a tone of utter seriousness and cruelty, he had no intention of killing her. He guessed she would be capable of surviving at least 30 seconds without air. He didn't intend to hold her any longer than that.

Theoretically, she would drop the Chaos Emerald purposely, or be so focused on trying to survive she would accidentally drop it. Then, he would let go of her, snatch it, and run. Unfortunately, there was the small chance that things would not go as he wanted. What if she refused to let go? He didn't want to kill anyone else, but she certainly would not believe his next threat if she did not believe this one. Worse would be if she did not care… He needed to get the Chaos Emerald from her at all costs.

The girl wriggled violently in his grasp. Shadow held as tightly as he could, counting the seconds. The Chaos Emerald did not leave her hands. "Drop it, and I'll let you go." He commanded.

The girl did not. She kept struggling, clutching the Emerald tightly. Shadow, in making sure she couldn't breathe, could not attempt to rip it from her grasp. The thought crossed his mind that if she were low enough on air,f her grip would be weak enough…

He decided to only count to twenty-five. The girl fought furiously, but completely stopped fighting at fifteen. Shadow was curious as to this, but he figured she was saving her energy. The Emerald did not leave her hands. He held on.

_Sixteen. Seventeen._

_Eighteen. Nineteen._

_Twenty._

_Twenty-one.—_

The girl dropped the Emerald. "Thank you." Shadow sighed in relief. He let go of her quickly, jumping up and snatching the emerald off the ground. He then noticed there was blood on the pointed end of the Chaos Emerald.

The sound of a 'thud' made the black hedgehog freeze. He turned to look at the girl.

She was lying in an unnatural position, face down on the ground. A memory flashed through Shadow's mind. His eyes widened…

"_Shadow, Shadow!" Maria cried, grasping his hand as tightly as she could._

"_We're almost there! You're going to be fine! You'll make it!" Shadow was trying to convince himself almost as much as he was trying to convince her. Sirens rang in his ears. Red lights flashed, almost blinding. The sound of footsteps ran after them, echoing in the halls, seeming as loud as the alarms were…_

_Then, suddenly, all was quiet as they reached a separate hall. Blue lights lined the bottom of the floor. The sirens faded out of hearing… But after only seconds, the footsteps did not. They were gaining…_

_Maria could hardly keep up with Shadow. Because of her, he could not run even near full speed. What was worse was that she was tiring out—_

_Next, the sound of a gunshot echoed through his mind. _

_Maria was lying on the floor. The bullet had pierced her chest, and she was dying… He saw her pass only an instant before the escape pod shot down toward planet Earth._

Shadow quickly knelt besides the human girl. He turned her over, only to discover there was a bloody gash on her chest. Her shirt was stained with blood, as was the ground where she had been kneeling. Either by tripping her, or tackling her, he had caused the Chaos Emerald to stab her horribly. By cutting off her air and squeezing her tightly to keep her from moving, he had only made everything worse.

He checked for a pulse. He checked to see if she had resumed breathing…

Nothing. She was dead.

Shadow stared at the little girl in shock.

_She's not as innocent as she seems, Shadow. She would have grown up to be like everyone else: hateful, prideful, arrogant, and violent! Can't you see that she was already selfish and greedy? She would have gladly shared the emerald if she were worthy of living! Maria would have shared it with you, but humans are never like Maria anymore! They never were; never will be! Maria was unique. The rest of this planet is worthy of death. They're all the same. _The Voice stated bitterly.

Again, Shadow felt uncertain if he had done the right thing. He looked at the bloody Chaos Emerald.

_I didn't know the girl…_

_So it shouldn't matter… _The Ultimate Life Form's gaze hardened. _They'll all die anyway. That's what they deserve… I'll watch as their lives are shattered into a million pieces, and die with honor and pride for what I've done. _He squeezed the Emerald gently before putting it away.

_Shall we find the next Emerald then? _The Voice seemed pleased.

_We shall._

Shadow glanced down at the green grass below him, and suddenly regretted what he had said. He had just remembered that all of the rest of the Chaos Emeralds did not really need to be searched for… He had almost forgotten.

Sonic had the yellow Emerald.


	5. Dark Water

It was dusk. Shadow had raced back from the glade to where he thought Sonic might be, but Sonic was not there. He had been too tired to bother to look for him anymore, so he had taken a nap to renew his energy… Next thing he knew, he had awoken to the setting sun. He was furious to have lost so much time, however, he had been in dire need of sleep. It was the first time had slept well in a month.

Now, he was tracking Sonic. Tracking Sonic was never an easy task; he moved too quickly. Shadow could go just as fast as him, but Sonic loved to roam anywhere and everywhere… This could make finding Sonic a daunting task, even for him. Luckily, however, the white Emerald was telling him that Sonic seemed to be stationary for the moment. If Sonic would stand still long enough, there would be no need for a chase.

Things seemed to be in the Ultimate Life Form's favor. Somewhere where the sun had barely sunk below the horizon, he found Sonic standing at a pier completely and utterly alone, looking at the ocean from the docks. It seemed odd, considering Sonic hated water with a passion… Shadow halted, trying to be as silent as possible.

The blue hedgehog would probably never be convinced to hand him his Chaos Emerald. Like with the two others who had died in less than 24 hours, Shadow did not truly want to kill his adversary. He would do what he had to, though. If Rouge would forgive him, so would all the others. Death was not a goodbye forever. Once the world was destroyed, it would seem more like he had simply tucked everyone into bed, just a few sooner than the rest…

The black hedgehog drew his gun. It would be best to shoot his friend while he was completely unaware… Sonic's ability to react was extremely efficient. In milliseconds, the blue hedgehog could turn and dodge the bullet after hearing it fired. Shadow's reaction time was nearly the same; he knew he would need to come as close as he could without Sonic's attention in order to get a clear shot. He began to creep forward.

_Stop. _The Voice hissed. The Ultimate Life Form saw no problem, thus did not heed the warning. He continued to draw nearer, just a single step.

Sonic turned his head, making eye contact with the black and red creature. "Hey, Shadow…" He eyed the gun with slight suspicion. Lucky for Shadow, he did not have it pointed at Sonic yet. It simply lingered at his side. "What are you up to?"

_You should have stopped time. _Annoyance penetrated the Voice's tone.

_Too late. _Shadow inwardly sighed. Though he would not admit it, the Voice was right, again. Stopping time would have been a much more efficient move. Nothing could have gone wrong… However, seeing he had not acted so brilliantly, he quickly formulated a lie. "I heard there was a very high crime rate in this area, including shootings… I thought it would be a good idea to have my gun handy, just in case."

Sonic gave him an odd look. "Bell Coast hardly sees any crime at all. Whoever told you that must have really been trying to pull your leg." He gave a cocky smile as Shadow looked slightly humiliated. "Come over here, Shads! It's been awhile." He briefly tilted his head toward the bay, beckoning his old rival closer.

Shadow glanced warily at the water. "It's alright, this dock is sturdy. You won't fall in!" Sonic smiled. He continued as Shadow came forward. "I like to come to places like this to think… I'm not a big fan of being _in_ the ocean, but just looking at it… It's a beautiful thing."

Shadow stopped at Sonic's side. He looked at the water near the horizon, then at the clouds just above it, just nodding in agreement, though not fully appreciating the scenery. "It's nice."

_It's nicer without all that manmade waste in it._ The Voice grumbled sourly. Shadow agreed to this also. Nature was meant to be left alone, but the humans always tried to make their own changes…

Sonic chuckled. "Not much of a commenter, are you?"

"I like how the light barely touches the water at this time of evening, and how the clouds look like they were painted, somehow…" Shadow looked at Sonic. Sonic looked back at him, a bit surprised that he had decided to comment, then looked again at the ocean. "I do plenty of observing, I just don't always state my observations."

"Huh…" The hero of the earth paused, then nodded. "Well, it was kinda nice that you did. It sounded… poetic. I like to hear your insight once in awhile."

Shadow smiled dryly. "It wasn't original."

"Maybe not, but it was different, hearing it from you…"

"Didn't expect that of me?"

Sonic laughed. "Shadow, you're always full of surprises!" He elbowed the black hedgehog with a grin and a wink. "And you're my best friendly competition… I gotta say, though, I didn't expect to see you here… What are you doing here?"

Shadow faked a smile. While he appeared to be feeling bashful, the true emotion was shame. The guilt for killing was easing, but it did not die. It lingered, questioning him. Was this really the right thing? Did he really need to kill Sonic right now?

_You are doing the right thing. Of all people, Sonic is the one person you cannot afford to let live before the Great Holocaust. If alive, he will somehow be able to stop you. Try as you might to talk sense into him, he is not going to understand your reasoning. He will end up killing you and saving evil because he cannot comprehend your greater purpose, and the mercy you are actually giving. Get him out of your way before he destroys you in the end._

_I won't need this talk again. _Shadow sighed inwardly again. The assurances of the Voice did not completely ease his feelings, but truth was really sticking with him now.

The Voice was the only one on his side. The Doctor wanted world domination and would be just as against this plan as any hero. Mephiles had wanted destruction, but it had not been humane. It had been slow and torturous…

This was the only way, and only the Voice understood _why_.

"I actually came to see you." Shadow said calmly.

"Really? Did you wanna race?" Sonic's eyes lit up. The black hedgehog tried to ignore how excited this thought had made his friend.

"No… I thought maybe you would let me borrow your Chaos Emerald."

_Why are you telling him that? _The Voice demanded.

_I think it would be rude to stop in mid-conversation to kill him._

"My Emerald?" Sonic looked surprised. "Why? Don't you have one already?"

_Oh, alright. I'm all for manners and respect too, but there really is no problem with cutting off the conversation when it takes a turn and serious tension could form! _

_So you're telling me to be ruthless? _"Yes, but I need it for a project… It can't be done with a single emerald." Shadow sighed.

_Yes. Be ruthless. In this situation, he is your sworn enemy! He's the villain, and you are the hero! _

Such a thought interested Shadow. What if things had been that way before? What if he were the only hero, with Sonic as his adversary…? Sonic stared at him for a moment before making a reply. "But what's the deal? Some kind of machine? Sounds more like what Tails would do…"

"It's a secret."

The blue hedgehog looked thoughtful, and noticed his friend had not yet put his gun away. "I don't know, Shadow… You don't have anything to hide from me."

Shadow unconsciously gripped the gun.

"Tell me what you're up to, and maybe I'll give it to you…"

"I can't. As I said, it's a secret."

"Then I'm not going to give it to you… Sorry." Sonic said cautiously.

"Please, Sonic?" Shadow tried not to growl, glancing around for signs of anyone being nearby. He could see he had let the conversation go on for far too long…

The blue hedgehog narrowed his eyes slightly. "I said no. What do you still have that gun out for anyway?_—_"

Shadow cut him off, quickly swiping the Emerald from Sonic's hammerspace and simultaneously knocking him clear off the dock. A splash disrupted the peaceful water of the bay. He aimed his gun.

Sonic could not move quickly enough in the water. There was nowhere for him to go, and no way for him to hide. The blue hedgehog tried to surface, struggling for his life just to succeed in swimming. He saw the gun pointed at him.

"_Shadow_!" He choked desperately, barely above the water. A gunshot shattered all remaining peace. Sonic felt pain rip through his shoulder, and momentarily stopped moving. He refrained from crying out, scared to death that he might loose air and drown. He did all he could to wrestle against nature and keep from dropping to the bottom of the bay. He still felt like he was sinking.

He didn't want to die. Managing to break the surface again, he called out brokenly, "Why are you_—_" He could not finish before the water went over his head again. The struggle continued as millions of questions raced through his mind.

Shadow was like his older brother. Shadow was one of his best friends. Shadow was a good person, but why was he doing this? Why did he knock him into the water, knowing he couldn't swim well? Worse, Shadow had shot him. Why? Why did he need the Chaos Emerald so bad to kill for it? Sonic only wanted to understand…

He had trusted Shadow. If he had only told him what he needed the emerald for, he was sure he would have given it to him…

He surfaced again, trying to say something that made sense despite his shocked and shattered mind. He saw the gun still aimed at him. "Please, _don't_! _Help me, Shadow_!" The tears streaming from his eyes could not be noticed while he was so drenched with water. He cried his words, choking on sobs and the saltwater of the sea. Terror and pain were written all over his face, as well as something else…

Shadow could not figure it out.

_I'm sorry, Sonic. _Wordlessly, Shadow fired four times more. Every bullet hit the blue hedgehog.

"_Sonic_!" Two cries split the air. Shadow turned quickly, and saw Tails "Miles" Prower and Amy Rose no more than ten yards away, staring in horror at the scene.

_Once again, you should have stopped time. _The Voice mumbled a bit angrily.

_Too late…_ Shadow briefly turned back to Sonic, knowing that now he would have to kill Tails and Amy as well. The water around the blue hedgehog was tinted a bloody red.

Too weak to keep struggling, he sunk completely below the ocean water and drowned.


	6. Mercy

Amy's tears tried to burst from her all at once. She couldn't believe what she had just seen happen before her very eyes. Her hero had been murdered, heartlessly. She looked at the killer, and could no longer find it in her heart to call him her friend; no matter how much a part of her wanted to cling to the trust and friendship that had once existed. "You…" Suddenly, rage surged through every vein in her body. Her brokenhearted expression contorted into one of utter fury. "_You __**monster**_!" In an instant, her hammer was in her hands. She charged forward towards the black hedgehog, wanting revenge. Wanting to unleash her wrath. Her feet sped forward at a pace to challenge the Ultimate Life Form, and she raised her hammer to give it a hateful swing. A swing that could kill the black and red hedgehog.

"Amy!" Tails cried. The eight year old fox was horrified by all of this. Shadow had a gun. Shadow was stronger. Shadow was quicker.

Shadow was far more powerful.

Tails knew something had to be done, but he did not know what he could do… He looked at the water. What if Sonic had not yet died? The fox didn't want to believe that his adopted brother was dead already, or had been killed so easily. He had survived many times before…

The genius made up his mind. He charged forward as well, but not toward Shadow. He ran for the water and dived in.

Amy swung, aiming at the black and red hedgehog's head. He disappeared. "Huh?" Amy breathed as she hit nothing. Angrily, she looked around for where Shadow had gone. After she had completely turned around, she saw that he was standing on top of a lamppost.

The old fashioned town was growing dark. With a swipe of his hand, the dark hedgehog summoned a bolt of chaos to create light inside the lamp. The flame burned shakily. "I'm sorry about Sonic." Shadow said almost emotionlessly. In light of the situation, he felt Amy was overreacting.

Amy's rage began to burn. "Sorry? _Sorry_?" She screamed.

_Kill her._

Shadow dropped from the lamppost, gracefully landing on his feet. "How could you _say_ that? _You __**killed**__ him_!" She rushed forward again, determined and desperate to strike a blow.

Shadow fired at her. She barely dodged. He launched several chaos spears, but despite being hit, she did not slow down or stop. Shadow put away the gun, ducking as she tried again to strike a blow to his skull. He shifted his weight to his hands, kicking her legs out from beneath her. She fell hard on her backside with a small cry of alarm and pain.

Tails surfaced, holding his older brother in his arms. He forced the blue hedgehog's head above the water, waiting to see if he would breathe. He felt no pulse, but he was not ready to believe Sonic had passed on. Watery blood seeped into his gloves, still running from the holes in the body. He had not yet bled out…

But he was not showing any signs of life.

"_Comon'_, Sonic!" Tails whispered. He started crying relentlessly, emotional pain squeezing him. Sonic made no response, only continued peacefully in his eternal slumber. Slumber was exactly what it seemed to be.

Sonic looked as if he were only resting.

The Kitsune looked toward the seaside ghost-town. He listened closely. Amy and Shadow seemed to be in the middle of a skirmish… He looked back down at his older brother, tears blurring his vision.

Sonic would want him to help Amy. Shadow would most definitely overpower her without his help, and there was no use in holding onto the corpse. It was time to let go…

It was one of the hardest things Tails ever had to do.

Shadow jumped back to his feet. He would not feel as bad about killing Amy, compared to the others he'd killed so far. This time, it was about self-defense. Besides that, he was certain that she would be much happier once killed, since she would be instantaneously reunited with her precious Sonic. She might even thank him for it once it was all over with. Sonic was the most important thing to her anyway… Why shouldn't she be happy?

The Voice agreed. _She'll be very happy. So will the little fox. Such love for a friend causes the insane desire to want to end your life once theirs has ended. They just aren't feeling the effects yet… Might as well spare them their grief and the silly thoughts that the grief will go away with time. Give them what they want._

Shadow paused. He remembered the pain of missing Maria… It had never gone away. Not after all this time. He still felt the pain, and the burning desire to have back her company. He remembered wanting to die in order to be with her, but he had held onto the same "silly thoughts" that the pain would go away and killing himself was unreasonable…

He felt they really _had_ been silly thoughts.

While Shadow was distracted with his own thoughts, Amy also got to her feet, summoning a new hammer since the old one had fallen out of her reach. "_Storming Heart_!" She cried thoughtlessly in her rage, thus giving Shadow fair forewarning of what she was doing. She swung the weapon in quick circles, creating a strong wind devil.

The attack plowed straight toward the dark hedgehog. He moved out of the way as quickly as he could. "Thanks for the warning!" He hissed. He dashed toward her, aiming to tackle her. From there, he supposed he'd just shoot her, but he had nothing specific planned.

Things did not quite go the way he expected. The wind devil circled back around, reaching Amy before he did. To his utter astonishment, it grew even bigger. She looked murderous in the center of the small tornado, quills and clothes fluttering wildly in the high speed wind. Shadow had to stop before he reached her. She began summoning hammer after hammer, throwing them all into the cyclone. Along with them, she threw her tarot cards. She spread her arms out wide.

_A woman's scorn… Her threat is serious, especially with those ****** cards. But you have no real need to fear. If she attempts any sort of magic, it will not be effective. You're too fast and powerful, but I've made an appeal just in case._

Shadow did not understand what the Voice meant by the last part at all. _You can talk to her? I thought those were just for fortune telling!_

_Oh, I suppose you think I talk to aliens and fairies, too! I can't say a bloody thing to the girl! Those particular cards are also spell cards, idiot, or she would have no use in throwing them into the air. Anyway, there's someone else who can easily hear me besides you, he just isn't of any use to talk to most of the time. _As usual, the reply was sour.

_Why's this time any different? _Amy threw her arms forward. The small tornado and all its objects blasted toward the Ultimate Life Form.

_Because he has power over all sorts of bloody magic!_

Shadow leapt out of the way, frantically trying to avoid everything. There were at least forty hammers hurling toward his head. If he were any slower, not one of them would have missed. They all impacted the cobblestone road, cracking it, creating craters, as if they were made of something unbelievably hard. Chunks of rock, dust, and dirt flew everywhere. The cyclone was chasing the black and red hedgehog as he dodged hammers time after time.

Tails ran up, stopping at Amy's side. He began tossing dummy rings as she continued to hurl hammers with all her strength. Explosions rocked the ground as the dummy rings made contact. Through all the chaos, Shadow could barely think. Just barely, he managed to make enough sense of his thoughts to think to stop time.

_Finally decided to do what I've told you?_

_Yeah… I guess I should listen to you more often. _Shadow sped toward Amy and Tails, avoiding all of the objects frozen in time.

A sort of accident occurred before he could quite reach the two children. Time restarted quite suddenly without warning. However, neither the fox nor the pink hedgehog were able to react quickly enough before he reached them. Shadow knocked into Tails without mercy, sending him flying into a wall. The poor Kitsune hit his head hard, falling to the ground in shock and agony. The male hedgehog turned to Amy. Amy started to swing her hammer.

_Chaos Blast._

Shadow gave no warning. He first released a small blast, just fierce enough to knock the female off her feet again then charged up a much larger one. She had barely gotten back up before the explosion of chaos energy hit her, full force. She was hit at least three times harder than Tails had just been. Tails, himself, was hit by the same attack, but felt the effects much less, likely because his body was already in a state of shock.

The twelve-year-old girl slammed into the lamppost that Shadow had lit only a moment or two earlier. She made no sound, and fell limply onto the street.

Shadow looked to Tails. Seeing the child was taking his time in recovering, he walked towards Amy. She did not move as he approached. He bent down over her, and felt for a pulse. He felt nothing. In addition to that, her neck did not feel quite right. He noted she was not breathing either.

_Her neck is broken. She's taken care of. _The Voice stated as if he were reading facts out of a book.

Shadow nodded, standing up and turning back to the fox. Tails had not really seen what had happened. For the moment, he seemed solely concerned with getting to his feet.

Shadow stalked forward.

Tails staggered against the wall, now noticing his friend lying limply on the ground. He froze up in terror, hardly having enough bravery to look the dark hedgehog in the eye. "W-what do you want, Shadow? Why are y-you doing this?"

Shadow continued forward, bringing his gun back out of hammerspace. "I'll explain later. See you on the other side." Tails' eyes widened, but before he could make a sound, Shadow had shot him through the heart. Life for the fox was no more.

The Ultimate Life form gently carried Tails and Amy to the pier. _Why even bother with their bodies? _The Voice asked.

_They are my friends… This is my way of giving them a burial and offering my respect. _The sound of sirens suddenly caught his ears. Someone had called the police, meaning someone other than Tails and Amy had been present. The black hedgehog cursed silently. He didn't have time to search for the other witness, but he had clearly made a mistake by not being careful enough. Such carelessness was what he had feared would ruin everything.

It could ruin everything, there was no doubt. If the witness could describe him, someone such as the Doctor might find him, figure out his plan, and try to stop him.

He had to finish this as soon as possible, starting with fleeing this place. Shadow gently dropped the two children into the water, and disappeared in a flash of light. They slept at the bottom of the bay with their hero.


	7. War before Peace

With three Chaos Emeralds, Shadow the Hedgehog could not only feel the Emeralds' locations, but see where they were. This ability to see allowed him to teleport directly to the Emeralds and get in and out each building within seconds. Without a specific location in mind, The black hedgehog could not possibly reach the destination he desired through Chaos Control. This had been the reason he had not been able to teleport directly to the second Emerald, or to Sonic. He had not known the specific location of either of them.

The fourth Chaos Emerald, the Orchid, had been inside of a vault at a bank. Thanks to the vault being quite large, and no security being on the inside, there had been absolutely no problem in stealing the gem.

The next emerald had been the Green. The Green emerald had been in a glass case at a museum; it was quickly shattered and the legendary rock was snatched. Alarms had gone off, but Shadow was already a few hundred miles away by the time the security system had sent a signal to the authorities. Mere seconds were all that was needed.

Only two more Emeralds to go already. Confidence filled his head to the brim. Who was to stop them now? The plan was perfect. No one could stand in their way over the course of mere minutes. The bodies of Rouge, the girl, Sonic, Tails, and Amy had likely not yet been found. Even if the authorities managed to identify the black and red hedgehog as the thief who had stolen the Chaos Emeralds, how would they stop him quickly enough? What, in their foolish minds, would they think they could possibly do?

The end was coming.

Shadow and the Voice were unstoppable. They were superior. They would save the earth together.

All of the hatred would disappear. All of the sorrow and madness, war and suffering.

The sixth Emerald was the Dark Blue. It was a beautiful and mysterious gem the color of sapphire, which bid remembrance of the month of September: the month that autumn began and life began to fade…

This Emerald, too, was taken in no less than a minute.

The last Emerald that needed taking was the Red. It was located in a top-secret research facility, which of course, was not a place Shadow could just waltz out of. The place would be so heavily guarded, he knew it was a great risk to even step foot on the premises if he wasn't invited. This was the reason why he had saved it for last. It would be the most dangerous and deadly theft of them all.

Shadow used Chaos Control to transport himself ten miles from the facility.

_GUN won't be too happy to see us._

_I know that. _Shadow sighed with irritation toward the Guardian Unit of Nations.

_Wouldn't it be better to Chaos Control in and out as we have been doing?_

_I want to feel as if I've worked for this so I can be more satisfied with the world's destruction. _Shadow answered. _We could use a change of pace._

_I agree… But I'm not sure it's wise for you to go so leisurely._

_I'll be fine. I'm the world's Ultimate Life Form. Really, everyone else is hardly a threat._

_That's what you think, Child._

_If I am a child to you, then are you my elder?_

_Obviously. _

_The obvious is not so obvious to me. I can't really identify your age through your voice._

_I am older than you are, but that is all you need know._

_It'd be nice to have your name._

_Go throw yourself off a cliff. _The Voice hissed_. Better, throw yourself into that research facility. A few moments of that, and you should think better of asking my name._

_I don't understand why you become so defensive when I ask that question…_

_Maybe you will understand after this is over._

Shadow nodded. _I think I will._

He walked on for a quarter of a mile, enjoying the night and the sight of the stars, when he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind brush past him. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking around at the hills and the weedy grass. It felt like Sonic had just run by… But how could that be when Sonic was clearly dead? Shadow listened, keeping himself on full alert…

Nothing.

Then suddenly, a creature tackled him from out of nowhere. Shadow struggled, rolling over his newfound opponent and pinning him down. His opponent managed to do the same back to him before the Ultimate Life Form threw him off. He stood up, and took a good look at his enemy.

Shock struck him. The opponent he saw was himself.

"Hello, you insolent copy." The opponent glared.

"Copy?" Shadow was slightly offended, feeling certain he was the true Shadow, and not a copy. "What makes you think you're the real one?"

The enemy pointed to his right shoulder. "Are you blind?" On his shoulder was a marking that was identical to the black arms insignia. He began to monologue about what made him the real Shadow, and why Shadow, himself, was inferior to him. He insisted his own name was Shadow, and that he was the only Shadow, and anyone else named Shadow would need to answer to his red-handled knife.

_Don't listen to the bloody clone. He's a waste of time. _The Voice murmured.

"I can hear you thoughts!" The clone continued. "I like to listen into them just for laughs… But I've heard how dark they've been lately, and I don't like it!" He growled.

Shadow felt uncomfortable with this last fact, but noted the hypocrisy in such a statement. "If you kill anyone named Shadow, what makes you any better? I'd say that makes your mind just as dark as mine. Darker, in fact, for you have no good cause in it."

The clone laughed. Shadow was losing his patience, becoming increasingly annoyed with his look-alike. _Thorn in my side._ He thought bitterly.

"A thorn? In your side? As if you mean anything!" The clone laughed louder. Shadow felt ready to just murder him then and there. "All the same, I rather like that name; Thorn. So that's what you will call me from now on." Thorn grinned.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I have no obligation to." Thorn snickered. "But I'll humor you this once, since you'll be dead by my hand in a moment anyway. I have fun killing. I could kill anyone, anytime, anywhere… so long as I don't get caught. I'm a fun guy, though, too. You could ask any girl I ever slept with, only I killed them all… Had to. They would have told on me for forcing them into a corner."

Shadow's expression twisted with complete disgust toward what he was hearing. The Voice seemed to share his exact thoughts. _He nothing less than sickens me… _

"If you destroy this planet, you're taking that fun away from me. I kill slow; I give a fair chance! You are giving none."

Shadow glared. "I'll be glad to take that 'fun' away. You haven't said a single word to give me a reason to respect you." The hedgehog scoffed. "'Fair chance.' I'll bet most everyone is defenseless against you, and killing slow is nothing less then sadist! No. I'm not going to sit by while you relish in hatred."

"Then so be it… I'd have killed you even if you'd changed you mind." Thorn smirked.

Shadow gave a sarcastic smirk back. "Make your move."

"Why don't you?"

"I never start fights, I only finish them." Shadow's smirk became more genuine. Someone else always asked for his wrath. Someone else always provoked him. He never did anything to start a fight, though sometimes it became necessary that he be the first to make a physical move.

"Your loss." Thorn shrugged. He whipped out his dagger, metal glinting in the moonlight. Shadow braced himself.

Thorn charged. The Ultimate Life Form dodged, turned, and kicked the clone in the side. He fell. The original pounced toward him. The copy preformed a back handspring, knocking his opponent in the jaw with his metallic air shoes.

Pain paralyzed Shadow for a split second. He fell backwards, going into a roll and standing up again in one fluid motion.

"Not bad…" Thorn looked at his enemy carefully. The other hedgehog simply refrained from rubbing his jaw, eyes narrowed. The clone continued. "Let's see how you take this." He dashed forward again, preparing slit Shadow's throat.

_When he gets to you, move your hand in front of his face as quickly as possible._

Shadow had no time to reply. He simply did as he was told, consequently whacking Thorn's arm out of the way. The clone looked surprised. Shadow saw the opportunity and punched him in the stomach, causing him to bend over… However, he somehow managed to hold onto the knife. The original was about to spindash into him, when the voice gave him very different instructions.

_Elbow him in the neck. Hard._

The last thing he had been told to do had worked well enough, so Shadow hesitantly obeyed.

Thorn collapsed, hitting his head in the process. However, he did not seem severely bothered, or injured, and he was up on his feet again in seconds. _A spindash would have done him more damage._

_That's because you did it wrong! _The Voice scowled.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't spindash." The clone spat. Then he smiled. "Now I have an advantage…"

Shadow suddenly felt uneasy. _What does he mean?_

_Stay on your guard._

_**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've been really busy, especially because I'm trying to write some original fiction. ^^; I actually finished this probably a month ago… or maybe even two. O_o; I forgot to upload it, though, and I only just noticed when I decided to take a break from my other project and work on this! Next chapter should be up soon… and I mean it this time… Don't kill me, Ames.**_

_**~Starz**_


	8. Veiling Mist

"Chaos Spear!" Thorn called.

Shadow dodged. He tried running circles around Thorn, mostly to outrun the bolts of Chaos without getting too far away, but the clone could match his speed and rammed into him. The original slammed into the ground, hitting his head quite hard. Pain and shock surged through his system. Thorn pinned him and attempted to stab him in the shoulder; he managed to avoid it by moving himself as far to the side as possible.

_Déjà vu? _The voice interjected at random. Shadow ignored him, managing in his position to uppercut Thorn in the jaw, then kick him off. He grabbed the knife, holding it offensively and preparing to stab him if he came near.

"Not bad at all, for an imposter…" Thorn hissed, getting up. "_What_ do you think you're going to do?"

"Run you through, and lay you to waste! You're the _only_ thing standing between this world and a better future." Shadow stated, intent on every word. The base to which he was headed? High security, but it wasn't _that_ much of an obstacle. Deadly, yes, but in his path, it was like a stone. He was very confident he could simply step over it, if that was what he decided to do. There was an easy way to do things. If worst came to worst, he should be able to manage teleporting directly to the emerald, and then teleporting out, as the Voice had mentioned. What sort of obstacle would there be in that?

The response Shadow received was a laugh. A loud, insane laugh that sent chills down his spine because it sounded so much like his own. "I think it's time to put this to _rest_. You're going straight to _Hell_!" A shockwave shot out from around him, blowing away everything within 25 feet.

Chaos blast.

Shadow quickly used Chaos Control to move himself out of harm's way, then behind Thorn the instant that the shockwave had passed. He grabbed at the clone, trying to get him into a deadly chokehold. To his surprise, however, Thorn ducked, moving quickly, so that his opponent's feat was not possible. He tripped Shadow. Shadow fell, almost stabbing himself by accident.

Next, Thorn moved to jump on top of Shadow and grab the knife. Unfortunately for him, Shadow rolled forward and to his feet, holding the knife, and spun around to face his foe.

Then, the battle became deadlock. The Voice tried to give Shadow suggestions, so he could gain the upper hand, but as usual, he at first would not listen. The black and red hedgehog tried to get out of it, to strike Thorn down on his own. Because of this, Thorn was able to predict every move with careful attention. So, Thorn would move to counter and strike, and Shadow in turn would move to counter and strike. Neither was successful in landing a decent hit. All kicks were blocked. All punches were blocked. Everything else was mirrored and canceled out.

_You both look like two sissy girls having a catfight! _The Voice thought. He was almost too irritated to even state it 'aloud' so that Shadow could hear.

Shadow began to feel great vanity and frustration as they fought. He was the greatest fighter in the world; the ultimate weapon. The Ultimate Life Form. Who was this copy to match him so well? Who was this copy to think himself higher than him? He didn't want any help from the Voice. He wanted to win, on his own, and take all the glory…

Even if he knew the Voice was the only witness besides himself.

The Voice fell silent for awhile in his _fury_ for not being heeded. After about 27 minutes of such restless and vain dueling, Shadow swallowed his pride. No matter what sort of surprise attack he tried to pull on Thorn, or vice versa, all was without success. He had realized that he was fighting himself, or, a copy of himself, meaning that only someone else would be able to surprise his enemy at this point. Secretly, he was glad that the Voice could not fight him like Thorn could… However, he knew that the Voice heard this thought, and had a horrible feeling it would make the Voice act sour.

Just as he prepared to ask the Voice for advice, the unexpected happened. Thorn's eyes widened suddenly, as if he were shocked, and Shadow landed a square blow to the side of his face. Shadow was surprised, having almost expected the deadlock to last forever. Instantly, the original hedgehog saw opportunity, and pounced on top of him. He began pinning him with all his might. He raised the hand that held the knife, ready to plunge it down through Thorn's chest. "Two of you? Partnering?" Thorn hissed in outrage. He had heard Shadow's thoughts about the Voice.

Shadow paused. "Don't you hear him too?"

"No, I do not hear him! I only hear _you_! I _thought_ you talked to yourself, but…!" He dropped the sentence as he struggled to get free. "_**Demons**_! Both of you!"

"If I'm a demon, you must be something _far_ more horrid." Shadow glared with disdain, lips curved into an exasperated frown. He kept his foe from moving. He wanted to ask how Thorn hadn't found out about the Voice before.

"There you go _again_, justifying yourself!" Thorn spat. "If you're not a demon, _he is_. There's _**no**_ justification in this. Conspiring through thoughts! I've never heard of such a thing!" The clone scoffed, finding his wriggling to be useless. He had heard Shadow's unspoken question as well, but he didn't bother to answer. He felt the black and red hedgehog should know better than to think he actually _listened_ all the time.

"And you think you have justification?" Shadow growled, digging his nails into Thorn's flesh.

"…I won't say so." Thorn stated, for once seeming strangely wise and sane. He glowered.

"Hypocrite!" Shadow retorted. "See, you don't! And I _do_ have justification, you're just too narrow-minded to understand! This earth will be safer than it's ever been before after this. I was chosen to protect this world from evil, and this is the _only_ way! Evil is continual! How else can I destroy it?"

"You _can't_. 'Evil' will not end with this world. Suffering will not end with this world. _You_ are not powerful enough to stop it, and if you _were_, you wouldn't be doing this. You'd have me converted to all your petty ways. So, _why_? Why bother to continue with this? You defeat your own apparent purpose!"

_Liar! How should he know __**anything**__?_

Rage took Shadow in its deadly grasp. He began to choke Thorn. "How should _you_ know what's on the other side? I don't believe in Hell! The afterlife will be perfect! Orderly! Nothing will be wrong; everything I want destroyed will be _gone_!" Thorn struggled against him, but Shadow only squeezed his throat more tightly, cutting off his air. "I'm not defeating my purpose! I'm keeping my promise to the Professor! And _Maria_! This is what they want; the best for humankind. I'm keeping that promise if it _kills_ me! I _will_ stop all this madness!"

Thorn couldn't breathe. Thus, the conversation could not carry on-though Thorn would have much liked to make spiteful comments on Shadow's undying loyalty to the Robotniks, and other things of that sort. The world around him started to fade into black. He was suffocating to death; he knew that he was. For the first time, he questioned what actually did lie on the other side. For the first time, he began to fear the unknown. What was the afterlife?

Where would he go, and what would it be like?

Searing pain tore through him for lack of air. As all things seen vanished, he felt himself falling through endless black.

Shadow stood, kicking Thorn's body out of his way. He threw the knife in his general direction. For a moment, he paused. _…Voice…?_

_Yes, Shadow, you are __**selfish**__. _The Voice hissed. _And hateful._

Shadow's mouth fell open slightly. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted to be come. He was shocked at himself, but as he looked at Thorn's corpse, it was hard for him to feel guilt, as much as he tried_. It would have been better if I had locked him in jail. That's where he should have gone… and then he should have had a trial for his crimes. It wasn't my right-_

The Voice quickly cut him off. _It was. He was trying to kill you! You were defending yourself… You would have had to have killed him, even if he hadn't angered you or provoked you to hatred. Besides… I'm sure he'll be reformed on the other side._

Shadow glared at the corpse a moment, then put his hand to his head. _I'm not supposed to hate! This is what I'm trying to prevent!_

_You'll have nothing to hate once this is over. __**Utopia**__, Child. Your friends are awaiting your arrival, and they'll be more than happy to see you once you cross over. You have so much to look forward to. _There was a strange gentleness in his voice. Shadow focused on his words; they were true.

_You're right… again. I'm sorry for all the times I've ignored you. I'll teleport into the facility._ Shadow sighed, genuinely remorseful.

_No need. _Shadow let his hand rest at his side, staring at a rock in surprise, as if that were the Voice speaking to him. _Go ahead and do what you like. I am just as confident in you as you are in yourself. The research facility is no object for you. __**You**__ are the greatest warrior that has ever lived._

_Are you sure about that? _Shadow tried not to reject the idea off the bat. Though he had been conceited earlier, the fight had taught him that he was not without a match… and the Voice, himself, seemed to know quite a bit about fighting.

Most positive.

Shadow felt his self-esteem rise back to its standard level. He began once again to march toward the base.

In front of the gates, he quickly formulated a simple plan for a break in. In fact, it was so simple (for him), no planning was even necessary. To begin, all he needed to do was leap over the high-fenced security gate. He crouched, not even bothering with a running start, and prepared to spring.

A sudden, familiar sound interrupted him. If there had been human guards patrolling, it would have blown his cover… but luckily, only robots without sound sensory were on patrol. The robots would go after _crows_ if sensitivity to sound was in their programming, so it had been left out.

_Be-Be-Be-Beep! _

The sound rang out, loudly, but not so loud that anyone could hear it besides the Ultimate life form. Shadow cursed, remaining in a crouching position. He whipped out his two-way radio, answering the call. "What?" He asked bitterly.

"And Rouge thinks I have moods." The replying voice mumbled. It was Knuckles. Shadow had completely forgotten about him. "You must have heard the news…"

"What news?" Shadow asked, though he was almost certain he knew what news.

"Some absolute ******-***** _killed_ Sonic, Tails, and Amy! They were all found in the water at Bell Coast Bay…!" Knuckles sounded distressed and extremely angry. "But that's not all! Sonic and tails both had _gunshot_ wounds, and Amy's _neck_ was broken… _**Snapped! **_The street behind the docks, _destroyed_… I don't _get it_! _Who_ would do something like that? Who even _**could**_? We're talking three strong fighters! I don't get how they could have been killed! Man, I just want to _**murder**_ that _**scum**_ who did this!"

Shadow didn't reply. He wasn't sure how. The only thing that came to mind was, 'No, Knuckles, you don't get it.' He narrowed his eyes the radio.

"…_Hello_? Shadow?"

"I'm here."

There was a sigh. "Listen… I know you loved Sonic like a brother… at least, he loved you like that. I know this is hard for you, and I'm _really_, really sorry I'm the one who had to tell you… It must be a shock."

"Yeah." It was a mild shock to Shadow that Knuckles had thought of him. Knuckles and he had no strong relationship whatsoever… While Shadow had managed to befriend the others, Knuckles had remained distant; though he was somewhat close to Tails, and seemingly closer to Sonic.

"The police are looking for this guy… I'm _trying_ to help, but I've never done any sort of criminal investigation before… I kind of had the thought that you might be able to help too."

Shadow stared.

"I bet you would be a _big_ help down here… and I'm sure you'd like to bring this guy to justice just as much as me! If you'd come down here, to Bell Coast, everyone would appreciate-"

Shadow crushed the radio. It might be taken as a sign of guilt, if Knuckles bothered to use his brain. Or if anyone else could now hear the static. But he was too close to his goal… There was still no time for anyone to figure out his plan.

The world's time was running out.


	9. Faux Memoir

From out of the ashes came a single silhouette; walking calmly, tall and proud. He left robots and piled mechs in his wake, as well as pools of cold blood. Nothing-no one was spared. All that was left of the research facility was left in destruction. A raging fire burned, consuming the half-destroyed building behind him, and filling the air with smoke.

Shadow clutched his prize, the magnificent red Chaos Emerald. It was the color of blood; the color of all he felt. For the world, it meant new life…

Afterlife.

_This is it. _

He inhaled deeply, not caring that doing so choked his lungs. Of course, he ended up dropping to his knees and coughing afterward, but he had no regret. Not even when the Voice said in a sarcastic manner, _How very wise of you! Was that a suicide attempt?_

_I just felt like doing it…_

_Well that was stupidity if I've ever seen it… Then again, I've seen many more acts of idiocy, and I can't honestly say that's the most mindless thing I've seen._

Shadow, for the second time that day, was quite unsure of how to respond. Thus, after a brief moment, he decided to ignore the statement and change the subject. _Shall we finish what we've started? _He quietly admired the beauty of the Emerald in his hand, in all its radiance and power.

Yes. We will finish this.

Hearing the very distant sound of a helicopter, Shadow gathered the power of the Emeralds. "Chaos Control!" Instantly, they found themselves in a very different setting.

Glancing around the dark corridor, all that was seen were dim lights lining both sides of the floor. The air was cold and stale. It was a dismal, ghostly place, with silence that was so deep, Shadow's ears started to ring immediately. Every little noise that was made became something unsettling and much louder. Every footfall seemed especially loud, and echoed endlessly down the hall.

Shadow walked, a creeping feeling of paranoia brushing against him. However, he remained calm. What did he possibly have to fear? And didn't he always feel like this on the ARK? It was that horrid "accident from fifty years ago… The accident that had killed Maria… As she had sent him down in the capsule, she had only wanted him to be free, and safe from the soldiers. But as he fell away from her, all he had wanted was to hold her. One last time…

_My Child! _The Voice cut in, startling the black and red hedgehog_. Have no regrets over what has passed. You will see her again soon enough._

Shadow's eyes widened. This whole time, that was one detail he had overlooked. Excitement filled him to the brim_. Maria…? I can't wait to see her again! _He began to pick up pace, eager. _And then I'll be able to introduce her to Rouge, and Sonic, and everyone else! She'll love that! And they'll be happy to meet her… Everything will be perfect after this, won't it? And…_

The conversation suddenly took a turn that the Voice did not expect. There was a hopeful tone in Shadow's voice that _shook_ him_. I'll see you face to face, too. Won't I? And we could be friends?_

He came upon the Eclipse cannon. As he walked up, the computer was automatically activated. He anxiously punched in the password, then loaded in the seven Emeralds in the order he had gained them: white, light blue, yellow, orchid, green, dark blue, and then red. The cannon began to charge… a bit slower than expected. Shadow growled. _It's still going to take about fifteen minutes… _He tried to tell himself that fifteen minutes wasn't a long wait, but he was feeling restless. He harshly hit the button that would cause the cannon to fire. It did not; however, the computer put the command on hold so that the cannon would fire automatically once it reached maximum power.

After a moment of silence, the black hedgehog realized his question had not been answered. _Voice…? _The only response he received was the hum of the charging weapon. _Of course you wouldn't even bother to answer. _Shadow sighed with annoyance.

_You will see me. _The Voice's reply was cold and distant. It mixed uncertainty into the Ultimate Life Form's mind. When the voice used such a tone, he was always in the sort of mood where he would refuse to talk, for the most part. Thus, Shadow thought it would be useless to try to pursue conversation with him… though he briefly wondered why the Voice seemed upset. Shadow began to think of other things to pass the time, letting his mind drift off…

He thought about things he had never done, that might have been nice to try-flying just for fun, attending a concert, seeing what it was like aboard a submarine… It even occurred to him that he would have liked to know the feeling of being in love. He had never gotten to race Sonic without his jet shoes. He had never known what it was like to be part of a real family… Of course, many of these thoughts had to do with things that simply weren't possible for him; he was a created creature, for instance. He couldn't see what it was like to have parents, because he couldn't become an infant and be put into someone's womb. He couldn't grow wings. He couldn't sit on the moon like the WonderWorks boy, because the moon was not really like that. He realized that his thoughts were becoming a bit random, and so started to think about more about things worth thinking about: what he had done with his life.

He felt confident he had done well with it, and what he was doing was for the greater good. He thought about all his friends, and how great it would be to be with them again. He thought about all the things they might be able to do in the afterlife that they hadn't been able to do before. Maybe he could grow wings, then-not that flying was at the very top of his wish list. In fact, he was more looking forward to a race… He remembered his first race with Sonic. He smiled at the memory, and this memory gave way to even more. Memory after memory came to him. All sorts of happy memories…

He glanced around after about 10 minutes of this, and seeing a bloodstain on the floor, paused. There was something severely unnerving about that bloodstain. _Stop being paranoid. Nothing's going to happen…_ He scoffed at himself.

The Voice chuckled.

Suddenly, a vision came to mind. Shadow stared in shock and horror as he found, now, that he was looking at not a stain, but a puddle, and the body of a dying girl to go with it.

"_**Shadow**_!" The girl screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her beautiful golden hair was matted, and her dress was tainted with red fluid.

"M-maria?" Shadow gapped.

"Don't do this! _Please_, Shadow! I-I know you're good… _**Please**_!" She sobbed with fear.

"I-I don't understand!" Shadow felt confusion begin to tear at him. Everything in his senses told him he was doing nothing wrong… but what _was_ this? Was he seeing a ghost?

"_Please don't shoot me again_! …_Please…_! Please don't shoot me again…"

_Red lights flashed, almost blinding. The sound of footsteps ran after them, echoing in the halls, seeming as loud as the alarms were…_

_They reached a separate hall. Blue lights lined the bottom of the floor. The sirens faded out of hearing… But after only seconds, the footsteps did not. They were gaining…_

_Maria could hardly keep up with Shadow. Because of her, he could not run even near full speed. What was worse was that she was tiring out-_

"_Freeze!" shouted a soldier from behind him._

_It was too late. It was too late._

_Shadow ripped his hand away from Maria's. He had to protect her at all costs. He dived at the soldier, and the small squad that was behind him. Gunshots rang out. Maria screamed, but as Shadow looked back, he saw she was unharmed. All bullets missed him. All bullets missed her. Shadow grabbed one of the guns and knocked down each soldier, one at a time. They tried to fight back, and six-on-one was not an easy battle… but he persevered. His aim was not to kill, just to disable. On earth, he and Maria would be safe. The soldiers wouldn't find them there; the world was too big. He and Maria could go somewhere where it would just be the two of them, and the Professor after he found them. He would keep her safe, and they would be together forever…_

_But as the last soldier fell, he heard another pair of feet faintly rush up from behind him. He quickly fired a single shot in the direction of the footsteps, half-instinctively and only hoping to discourage the approaching solider from coming closer. But fate had different plans. _

_This was no soldier…_

_Maria fell to the floor with a loud gasp. She cried out to him, begging him not to shoot again. He fell to his knees beside her, dropping the gun, and began to weep as hard as her. He took her into his arms, hugging her, and apologizing profusely. "__**I'm sorry**__! I'm __**so**__ sorry, Maria…! Please forgive me… I love you; I didn't mean to do it! I didn't…"_

"_I-I love you too… Shadow… Let's go to the e-escape pods…" She was struggling just to keep breathing. If she didn't die of blood loss, she would likely die of suffocation. Shadow wasn't sure if she would even make it to earth, but he knew it was the only way. _

"_We're going! We're going right now!" He took her into his arms as he spoke, then started to run with her to where the escape pods were._

_It took a moment to get there. The lights in the room were flickering. Two pods were there, and unfortunately, each only held one person. Shadow didn't want to be at all separated from Maria, but what other choice did he have?_

"_S-shadow?"_

"_What is it…?"_

"_I can walk…"_

_Shadow hesitantly set her on her feet, being gentle. With surprising strength, she suddenly shoved him into one of the capsules. Shadow fell forward against the back of the escape pod. He looked up in surprise, suddenly realizing what she was doing. "Maria, no!" He yelled, trying to get back out, but she hit a button that quickly shut the capsule door. He slammed against the glass, and then hit it, trying to break it open._

"_Th-there's no one to launch… the escape pods… You're my best friend… I want you… to see earth for me…" She began to walk towards the control panel, struggling with every step. Once she got there, she had to lean against it to keep from collapsing._

_Shadow began cry, pounding his fits against the bullet-proof glass. "Maria, we're __**supposed**__ to stay together! I'm supposed to protect you!" He looked at where the bullet had ripped through her chest, and began to cry harder._

_He had already failed._

"_Sh-adow, please… Do it for me… For a better future… for all the people of that planet…" She glanced longingly towards earth, gasping for air. "G-give them a chance… to be happy. Let them __**live**__ for their dreams… …Shadow, I know you can do it…. It's the reason… you were brought into this world…"_

**Let them live.**

_He could see it in her eyes and on her face. The moment she relaxed, the fight would be over. The moment she stopped struggling, she would die. She was choking out these words, just for him. What she was telling him was something that she could not bear to die without saying._

_Shadow sank to his knees inside the capsule. He had often wondered about his purpose. He had often talked to Maria about it. She had always said she wasn't sure… But now, she seemed to be more than positive. His purpose, was to give people a chance. Give them happiness. Give them hope. _

**Protect them.**

"_Sayonara, Shadow… the hedgehog…" She put her hand on the lever that would launch the capsules, and gave up. The lever pulled down with the weight of her fragile body. Shadow screamed to Maria, but in the last few seconds of him seeing her, she didn't respond. She was dead._

And it was his fault.

Maria was gone. The bloodstain on the floor was just a bloodstain. What had just happened? He didn't even wonder. Instead, he was focused on her last words…

Let them live. Soon, they were all going to die, and he had already killed fifty-seven people.

"_Sh-shadow…! Wh-why?"_

"_Why are you—Please, __**don't**__! __**Help me, Shadow**__!" _

"_How could you __**say**__ that? __**You killed him**__!"_

"_Why are y-you doing this?"_

"_There's __**no**__ justification in this. Evil will not end with this world. Suffering will not end with this world. __**You**__ are not powerful enough to stop it, and if you __**were**__, you wouldn't be doing this. So, __**why**__? Why bother to continue with this? __**You defeat your own purpose**__!"_

What had he done…?

_Why_?

This had happened before. He should have learned from it. He should have _remembered_ to keep Maria's promise alive in his mind, and _never_ forget any part of it. The prototype had somehow interfered with his memory of Maria, before, making him think that she wanted vengeance on Earth…

But if that were so, what had kept him from discovering he had been the one who killed her? The prototype was long dead. He should have discovered such a fact much sooner, unless…

_It was __**you**__… it was you the whole time!_

_You __**just**__ figured that out?_

_How __**could**__ you? How… how could I? _Shadow felt deeper resentment toward himself, and the Voice, than he had ever felt before. He couldn't believe he had allowed himself to be tricked. Half of his thoughts had not even been his. He hadn't been careful to check them. He had let the Voice lead him blindly, and even that horrible clone, Thorn, had been right to condemn his actions and motives.

He couldn't set right his wrongs. He began to cry at the thought of having murdered his most precious friends… and it was for nothing. Nothing at all. The innocent little girl. All the workers at the research facility… they were all dead, because of him…

And if he didn't do something, the rest of the world would die at his hand as well. Maria would be angry. Maria would never forgive him for this.

The cannon was still charging, with only one minute left to spare. Shadow had to do something, and he had to do it quick.

_It's __**too late**__, Child. __**I've won**__._

"_**No**_!" Shadow dashed over to the computer, frantically trying to override his previous command. The system would not respond.

Thirty seconds.

Shadow tried something else. He desperately focused on the chaos energy radiating from the Emeralds, trying to absorb it from them and the cannon. Afterward, it wouldn't be able to fire… But the energy would not absorb. The cannon was drinking it down thirstily, taking it all and giving Shadow no chance to take any. Nothing was coming to him. It was as if there was a block on the energy, a wall that somehow could separate him from it.

Fifteen seconds.

Shadow reached for the Emeralds, trying to grab them and pull them out of the cannon. He was determined to stop the energy flow. Instantly, a bolt of electricity shocked him like lightning. Shadow gasped. The Professor had put safeguards in place for the Black Comet; he wanted to be sure no one could stop the cannon from destroying it, since it needed to be destroyed. The program had not been deleted like the program linked to the prototype had.

Eight seconds.

Shadow only had one more solution. Pull the plug. He dropped to his knees, tearing off the side-panel below the control panel. The power chord was inside, he knew. But what he saw struck him dumb.

Three seconds…

There were wires _everywhere_.

There was no telling what pulling random wires could do. It could blow the computer, or cause the cannon to fire an instant early, cause the cannon to explode and destroy the entire colony, and in turn send the debris hurling towards Earth… but there was not even time to worry about unwanted consequences. Two seconds, and the planet would be destroyed anyway.

The black hedgehog tried to rip out as many wires as he could, but it was only two seconds before it was too late. There was a shockwave that radiated throughout the entire colony.

The cannon had fired full-force. On the computer screen, live video showed the earth being torn apart from the force of the energy blown at it. It was all over. The end had come. Shadow and the Voice had done what they had set out to do, accomplishing the feat with astonishing rapidity…

But Shadow the hedgehog was far from proud. With the death of the planet died all will to live. He didn't deserve to live. He should have been the only one to die in the first place…

Both him and the Voice, who had been a part of him for sixty-two long years…

So now, there was only one thing left to do. He had nowhere to go. Nothing to do. No one to talk to, except the Voice. He hated the Voice. He didn't want to be near the Voice at all. So now he would end it.

If there was a Hell, he knew that was where he was going. He took his gun to his head, and pulled the trigger.

_Bang._ The maddening silence had been split with a gunshot that was more deafening than a lion's roar. Blood spilled as Shadow fell lifeless to the floor. Silence resumed it's reign on the ARK…

…Until insane laughter echoed through the halls.


	10. Epilouge

A lone creature with gleaming white fur hovered over Earth's remains, surveying the damage. There was not a soul to be seen. Not a shred of life to be found, anywhere. Everything had died with the shattering of the earth, the sudden temperature change, and the lack of sustaining gasses to breathe(oxygen, and for plants, carbon dioxide).

He did not need air, or heat. He was immortal.

On wings he gently glided, looking, searching for anything that lived at all… He scanned with his mind, quickly, three or four times in every direction, and found _something_…

A frown twisted his expression. Someone, somehow, had lived.

The Voice rocketed in that direction. He was curious to see who could have possibly survived the holocaust… He swooped over what appeared to be something that was enclosed, and had air trapped inside. _It may have been a refrigerator_, he thought. A girl was trapped in as well, quickly running out of air. She was terrified and alone.

He snickered at her fear. "You already attempted suicide before. Isn't death what you _really_ want?"

The girl did not answer. She could not see the Voice, and did not recognize him by _his_ voice. She knew what had happened to the earth; it had been some sort of sub-explosion that had knocked her into this contraption, and sealed her inside it. It was already very cold, and dark. She had the feeling that leaving the refrigerator would mean a quicker death… She didn't want to die. Not anymore. Even if she felt unimportant, she was afraid to die, just like anyone else.

"So you _say_ death is not your desire… But _I_ say you are in dire need of it. Would you not like to see the world, sweetheart, as it is after the blast?" The white tenrec purred, trying to coax her into leaving her sanctuary. However, this only really pushed her further into her fear. She pressed herself as far away from the door as possible. "You will die in there anyway… You might as well behold the awesome obliteration of the planet on which you lived, since no one _else_ can… At least, you _will_ see it's aftermath." He laughed darkly. He moved to open the door.

"N-no one else…?" This shocked her. Still being alive was a freak accident, and worse, there was no way to keep him from opening the door. She felt defenseless… _But how is he still alive too?_

"No one at all… it's just _you and me_." He said in a seductive tone, just for the pleasure of messing with her mind. He had no real interest in her, no matter how beautiful she may or may not be. A laugh followed, and he continued on. "I suppose I'll be _very_ lonely for the rest of my life… Maybe I should keep you as my _pet_. That way, neither of us will be lonely…"

The girl stiffened. She had no interest in spending time with a creep, especially one who's words were drenched in innuendo. The Voice wrenched his claws between the door, which was jammed. A small amount of air moved to escape. "What do you say, _darling_?"

"_**Stop.**_"

The Voice froze, cringing with disdain. The girl had not spoken. It was someone else…

Someone who was like _him_.

In fact, he sensed there was more than one; there were at least _twenty_ of them behind him. He had no real fear, but he was outnumbered, and outmatched, and it was not possible to outrun them.

The tenrec pulled his claws from the door, which sealed the small gaps in which air had been escaping through. He turned to look at the crowd behind him, all its members exhibiting looks of disapproval. The one who had spoken was a white owl; he was scowling at him. "What have you been doing, and where have you come from?"

The Voice scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I could ask all of _you_ the same thing."

"We were where we always were." The cruelest of them spat.

"So we were…" The owl agreed. "But what about you?"

"I was here. Like I've always been! _Trapped_, _****** you**_! …I _never_ wanted to see you again."

"You blame me?" The owl sighed.

"Yes! I blame _all_ of you!" He slammed a fist against the refrigerator, evoking a faint cry from the girl inside, who hadn't the slightest clue about what was happening.

"That certainly isn't fair…"

"Certainly, _nothing_ is. You _all_ made my life a living _Hell_, so _guess what_? I got _rid_ of the problem, and sent _them_ all to Hell so they can see what it's like! If I could, I'd send the rest of _you_!"

"_**Excuse me?**_" The cruelest one snapped.

"You heard me!" The Voice growled. "Listen, no one stopped me, and I was _**entrapped**_. The rest of you had powers and gadgets and gizmos and friends in high places, whatever of the like. _Why_ didn't you stop me if this is _so_ important?"

"We were not informed of your conspiracy." The owl said, pushing aside all annoyance.

A new voice cut in. "_And _we thought you had brains! We didn't know we had to monitor you like an _infant _to keep you out of trouble."

The tenrec sneered. "I have _plenty_ of brains. I have more brains than _all_ of you, which is why I was able to pull this off!"

"_**You think yourself to be so great, little one?**_" A Great Voice spoke, shaking the foundations of the tenrec's soul.

He shut his mouth, falling completely silent. If he could manage to get away with it, he would not say another word.

"_**Answer me.**_"

"…No." The tenrec answered weakly.

"_**You have done no damage as great as you think you have. I will restore everything to its state as it was two days before now, and your pride will die. You have done an evil thing deserving of instant death… but you will have one last chance.**_" Some in the small crowd mumbled over this, but they all nodded in agreement.

"…Chance for _what_?"

"_**Silence!**_"

"Look at the mortal whom you have hurt!" The owl opened the refrigerator, but kept the air from leaving it's place. He forced his brother to look at her shaking form, shivering from cold and struggling to breathe what little air had not been used up already. Tears fell, though she tried to suppress her fear… it was unsuccessful. The tenrec looked at her without interest.

"So _what_?" He asked carelessly.

"See, little one, the path you have chosen, and the path that was neglected."

So the white tenrec looked.

And looked.

And looked some more. Nearly all the others kept him from moving in case he spontaneously decided to attack the already-suffering girl. It was cruel and unusual punishment. At first, he was only looking, but not seeing. Then, he was only seeing, and not perceiving. But once he perceived…

His mind was blown away.

Weather or not the girl meant anything to him was irrelevant. What he saw in her was something he might have seen in anyone, had he bothered to even look before. It was a greater significance. A greater meaning that he had been trying to understand his whole life. Everything had seemed so useless and worthless, and now he saw meaning… Next to that, he saw something else…

Something he had seen in Shadow. Hope.

How could she still have hope when all was clearly lost? The tenrec kept trying to perceive, and trying to understand. He felt as if he was looking at the last pieces of a puzzle. He felt closer than ever before to getting somewhere with this life… but he couldn't place what he saw.

"What have I neglected?"

"You know part of what you have neglected." The white owl said.

"But what else?"

"_**Love.**_"

The realization hit him like lightning. He had once understood love. He had once understood how powerful it was, and how Love was everything. He had forgotten. He had forgotten long ago…

He didn't know how to love anyone, or be friends. All within him was corrupted. Love was what Shadow had valued; what all of his friends had valued. Love was something that nearly everyone valued. The whole Earth's wellbeing had relied on Love to stay well…

And neglecting it had given way to the opposite of love; hatred. He had destroyed the earth… Now, he saw, and now, he had regret.

_Because_ he could remember Love now.

This girl needed someone's love to live and stay alive. She needed someone to put her aboard the ARK so she wouldn't die of suffocation. The ARK had managed to escape any sort of destruction, and lingered in place exactly where it had been before.

If no one cared for this girl, she would be left where she was… He wanted to care about her. Even if he just left her on ARK, which he intended to, she would be a thousand times better off. He moved to go towards her, but found he could not. He was held back. He was watching her slowly suffocate and die. It began to torment him, and drive him mad. He had even started to cry by the time she drew her last breath.

He regretted everything, and he wasn't allowed to set even one thing right. He became an emotional wreck.

"Your love has not yet died… From this, all you will know is not to end the world before its time."

A brilliant flash of light split the skies.

Shadow the Hedgehog strolled over to a bridge, heading out of the city. "It's funny… When you tried to tell me to kill Rouge, I had almost forgotten what love was…"

_That was the entire point. You spoiled it by giving into her pathetic fussing over you._

Shadow glared at the ground. "It's not pathetic to care about someone else. She was just worried about me… I think it was very considerate of her, especially when we had to fight that faker named Thorn."

_Of course you would think that._

"Can't you lighten up?" Shadow sighed. "Your moods always weigh down on me."

_Worry about yourself._

Shadow looked over the side of the bridge and at the water. Ducks swam in the pond below. "I don't like you, but I care about you a little… From the way you act, it seems like no one's ever shown you affection."

This received no response. "…You don't want to be cared about, do you?"

_Not really._

"Well that's… depressing… I think if you'd allow someone to care, you'd be a lot nicer…"

_You wish. Just be happy you're finally out of the hospital and stop worrying about other people's business, or I'll recite "The Raven" for twenty-four hours straight!_

_You and your Edgar Allen Poe…_

_Best poet in the world!_

_Too bad he's dead… _

…

Shadow smirked. There was one particular poem the Voice couldn't seem to stand.

"_But we loved with a love that was more than love-  
I and my Annabel Lee;"_

_Shut up!_

"_With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven  
Coveted her and me-"_

_Of all the vile imagery…! Stop it! That line is the worst! It's portrayal of Seraphim, which is the correct plural tense, is absolute blasphemy! They covet nothing! Now, let's think about doing something worthwhile._

_Like what…?_

…_I haven't the faintest idea. _But in reality, the Voice did have an idea.

He wanted to learn to Love.

_**XxThe EndxX**_

_**A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it, in all it's misery… Until next time~**_

_**Starz**_


End file.
